


His Sight

by Lmere



Category: Black Dagger Brotherhood - J. R. Ward
Genre: Blindness, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Shit goes down, Tattoos, Threats, Trust
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-14
Updated: 2016-02-12
Packaged: 2018-04-26 10:05:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5000593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lmere/pseuds/Lmere
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You want to see Wrath. Why?"<br/>"There's something he wants." I said honestly. "I can give it to him." The vampire's expression didn't change as his eyes flicked between my own, though the line of warriors rippled with unease.<br/>"And what exactly is it?" He asked.<br/>"His sight."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A not-so-subtle Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> Set approximately around Book 11, Lover at Last
> 
> You know where the credit belongs.

"What the..." Vishous sat up straight, leaning closer to the screen. "Cop, come look at this for me."

            Butch, lounging on the couch, tilted his head back to look over at his roommate. His brother. "What is it?"

            "Just come look."

            With a faked groan, Butch rolled over, straightening up to his full 6'8" with a stretch, stalking over to lean down, staring over V's shoulder at the screen.

            "What exactly am I looking at?" he asked, as his eyes scanned the surveillance feed from outside the compound's gate. All was quiet and still. Then he frowned, leaning closer. Was there something? An outline in the darkness? The branches of the trees swayed in the wind, the patches of light and dark dancing over the ground in their ever-changing shadows. Butch was about to draw back and demand to know what Vishous had seen when something else moved.

            The tiniest shifting, nothing more than a flicker, and the whole pattern fell into place, like pieces that he'd been looking at from the wrong angle. A pale face, thrown into half-darkness by the lip of a hood drawn up over a head. A body, all covered in black and held completely still. Butch blinked, and the person was gone. Then it happened again. The slightest shift of the hips, a twitch of the chin, and there was a person standing outside the gates.

            "What the..." he breathed, leaning even closer, his nose inches from the screen.

            "You see her too?" V asked grimly.

            Butch frowned, drawing back again. Now he looked for it, V might be right, the jaw line looked too soft to be that of a male.

            "Are we expecting company?"

            V shook his head, his eyes never leaving the screen.

            "Then who the fuck is she? And how is she standing outside our gates?"

            Again, nothing but a shake. Then, just as V opened his mouth, the figure moved.

            They didn't hesitate, stepping with confidence out of the trees and walking calmly forwards to stop in the very middle of the path. Neither of the males said a word as a pale hand emerged from the darkness, and reached up to throw back the hood.

            Vishous was right; it was a female. It was instantly apparent why she'd worn the hood. Her hair was so pale it seemed to radiate its own light, rather than reflect the moon's paltry illumination. In contrast, her eyes were blacker than the night as they bore straight through the camera into their souls. Very deliberately, she turned her gaze first left, then right, focusing those dark eyes on the other two cameras trained on the entrance.

            "Who's in?" Vishous asked quietly.

            "Phury, Rhage and us," Butch said at once. "Everyone else is in the field."

            V was silent for a moment, watching the screen, waiting.

            "I need to see Wrath." Her voice were perfectly clear, filling the air around them as it seeped out through the speakers. The words were calm and steady, reasonable even.

            The two vampires tensed, sharing a glance full of suspicion before Vishous leaned forwards over the intercom.

            "Who are you? How did you get here?"

            "I need to see Wrath," she repeated, and V ground his teeth.

            "Who are..."

            She cut across him. "We can do this all night. Or you can open the fucking gates and let me see him."

            "And why the hell would I do that?"

            "Because you'll regret it if you don't. Or more importantly, _he'll_ regret it."

            "Is that a threat?" V barked.

            She remained silent, letting the words hang in the air for an instant.

            "If I make a threat, you'll know it," she said coolly. "I mean him no harm."

            V straightened up, his white eyes flashing.

            "Call _everyone_ ," he said grimly. "Unless they're engaging, I want them back here now."

            Butch didn't question his decision, whipping out his phone and dialling from memory as V spread the word within the compound. It took them only seconds to assemble most of the brotherhood. Then, with a quick nod, Vishous pressed the button, and the gates swung open.

 

 

The gates opened silently, not even a whisper on the chill air to betray their movement. I walked forwards at once, my long legs stretching over the ground as my hands writhed inside my pockets.

            Their security system was impressive, I had to admit. And useful. A perfect way to announce my arrival without appearing in their midst.

            Gravel crunched under my feet as I glanced to the side. For a second, I could see nothing more than the _mhis_ that protected the compound, but then, despite its strength, it parted before my gaze, as all things did, and I was able to scan my surroundings without interference. The trees rippled, their branches swaying to the tune of the wind that sang through the leaves, but all else was still, letting me pass in silent watchfulness.

            The second set of gates swung open as I approached, allowing me to continue unhindered, and the _mhis_ began to fade as I passed out of the protective barrier. Raising my eyes, I couldn't help the dual stabs of wonder and sadness at the sight of the huge mansion rising above me.

            This was what the Band of Bastards, for all their ambitions, had been unable to find.

            Lowering my gaze, I halted at the sight of the warriors waiting for me, strung out in a line across the courtyard. It was an impressive sight, the seven soldiers standing tall and proud, watching me.

            Six male, one female, all with identical expressions of mistrust, and bodies ready to fight. I took my time, moving my gaze slowly down the line, left to right.

            The one on the end had short blond hair and a handsome face, but to my eyes, his whole form flickered, exposing slight flashes of purple beneath his skin as the beast within him writhed and twisted, awoken by his wariness.

            Next to him was a slightly shorter male, with black hair cut short and dark blue eyes. Of them all, his was the most open face, the expression least clouded with suspicion. He had a crack down the very centre of his being, well hidden and starting to heal, but still present. He'd lost someone very close to him, and had broken as a result. I didn't look any closer. I didn't want to see his pain.

            Next was another male with black hair, but grown longer in the front, slightly squashed down, as if expecting to be contained under a hat at any moment. His eyes were shockingly white, with the slightest rim of blue round the edge. The paleness contrasted with the dark tattoos around his right eye, which made him instantly recognisable. This was Vishous, son of the Bloodletter. But he was something more too, something I couldn’t quite identify. His diamond eyes were glowing, the light subtle but undeniable, in the moonlight, the same illumination emanating from his right hand, despite being covered by a black leather glove. He had a hard face, though maybe it was just the challenge in his features that turned them to stone.

            Beside Vishous, standing in exactly the same pose, was the tallest of them all, a huge hulking male with a nose that had been broken at least once, and a darkness in his stomach. I recoiled on instinct before looking harder and having to contain a gasp. Though the origin of the blackness was evident, it was not a pure reflection of its source. It was a vortex, a sucking hole that slowing devoured itself. The whispers were true. Dhestroyer.

            To his right was the only female in the line up. She was tall, easily of a height with me, but looked small compared to the rest of the brotherhood, her 6' dwarfed by the giant males around her. Her calculating eyes were identical to those of Vishous, her long braided hair the exact same shade of darkness. My gaze darted between the pair, picking out more similarities every second. So he did have a sister. I'd doubted that claim when it was made, but the proof was right here, before my infallible eyes.

            The final pair were obvious. Phury and Zsadist stood side-by-side, their identical yellow eyes gleaming in the dark. If the one further to the left was cracked, Zsadist had been shattered, smashed to pieces and left with nothing more than a semblance of an outline. But he was far more healed that the other one, knitted back together with a new strength, and as I stared at the faint lines, I caught a glimpse of a dark haired female, holding a young with yellow eyes in her arms.

            "Who are you?" The familiar voice ended my examination, and I turned my attention back to Vishous.

            "I told you we can do this all night," I reminded him calmly. He opened his mouth angrily, but the one to his left spoke before he could.

            "You want to see Wrath. Why?"

            I shifted my focus to him, my eyes drawn again to the half-healed crack before I reigned my vision in and focused on his physical form. His tone was reasonable, and as steady as his gaze.

            "There's something he wants," I said honestly. "I can give it to him." The vampire's expression didn't change as his eyes flicked between my own, though the line of warriors rippled with unease.

            "And what exactly is it?" he asked.

            "His sight."


	2. Offers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to TheBloodletter and the 4 guests who've left kudos, and to Kelly for her encouraging comment.

"His sight."

 

            "You..."

            "Liar!"

            "Manipulating..."

            "Bitch!"

            "Tricksy little..."

            "Enough!" The roar echoed a little around the courtyard, leaving a ringing silence in its wake, broken only by the fading growls of the others. The one who'd addressed me frowned, waiting until the sounds had faded before looking back to me.

            "You're lying."

            There were hisses of approval which I ignored, meeting the dark navy eyes and raising one of my eyebrows in a silent challenge.

            Only two of them reacted, the female, and the male on the far left both leaping forwards with snarls of anger but I was ready for them. Whipping my hands out of my pockets, I sank into a crouch and waited, watching. There were shouts from the others as they surged forwards too, but they were much too late.

            "Rhage!" One of them cried out, but I blocked the sound, focusing only on the two bodies barrelling towards me. There was no co-ordination between their attacks, but they still worked together, rushing me at the same time.

            Step back? No, the female was expecting that, she was going to jump around me.

            Move to the side? A possibility It would start a game of cat and mouse, but would give them time to calm down and bee called back.

            Duck forwards? The events that flashed before me gave me the perfect opportunity, so I took it. As the female leapt into the air, I lunged forwards, slipping under the male's dagger arm as he swung it in a viscous arc to where I had been only seconds before. Straightening, I turned, putting my back to the other warriors, who were too far away to intervene.

            Raising my left hand, I forced myself to be still as the male whipped around, his arm swinging straight into my palm, as I'd seen would happen. The female was behind him, too far away to help. As the male stepped backwards, I tightened my grip and _ripped_.

 

 

An outside observer might have seen the male's eyes flash white, or noticed how everyone else in the courtyard went instantly still, but I didn't. I was utterly focused on the purple limb in my grasp, splitting from the vampire's body at the elbow, and ending in wickedly sharp claws.  He took another step backwards, pulling away, and I gritted my teeth as I tightened my grip even further, more and more of the beast pulling from him, until it stood free, taller than all of us, and _roared_.

            The others were all backing slowly away, but the beast couldn't have been less concerned with them. Instead, it twisted round and looked straight at the male behind it, whose feet were still intertwined with its own. For the first time, vampire and dragon stared at each other. Then, they both pulled, my grip slipped, and the purple limb twisted away, slithering between my fingers at the two beings snapped back together again. We both staggered backwards, but I straightened first, panting as I looked across at him.

            "Rhage?" It was the merest breath from one of the others, but in the utter silence, it seemed loud as a shout.

            Rhage looked up, his blue-green eyes snapping to mine.

            "What the..." he whispered.

            I was the one to break the gaze, looking away from him as he finally straightened up. Seven pairs of eyes followed me as I turned, putting my back to Rhage and the female, though I was careful to keep looking for an attack. I meant to look at the one who'd spoken to me, but my eyes were captured my Vishous's diamond gaze, held in their white light, and I couldn't help thinking that he was looking at me just as hard as I was looking at him.

            "Who _are_ you?"

            The question didn't come from Vishous, but from the one next to him. I ripped my eyes away, looking at him again, taking in his short hair and dark eyes for the second time. There was no anger or suspicion in the question, just honest wondering.

            "Who are you?" I asked calmly and his head jerked back as if I'd hit him, a frown creasing his handsome features as he looked away, glancing down the line at his side, which had coalesced into a group after Rhage's attack.

            "Phury," he said. "Go tell Wrath... tell him everything." The male with yellow eyes and long hair whirled around, the medallion of the Primale swinging on his chest, and bounded away, disappearing into the mansion in a second. Zsadist's eyes, the mirror of his brother's, watched him go before flicking back to me.

            "Rhage, go inside."

            "Tohr..." Rhage objected from behind me, but a growl cut him off.

            Rhage stalked away after Phury, vanishing inside. I didn't watch him go, but kept my eyes forwards.

            Tohr, that had to be Tohrment, son of Hharm. I'd heard many rumours about him, mostly revolving around his death. It seemed those ones had been fabricated.

            The gravel behind me crunched as the female circled cautiously around, but I didn't flinch, knowing her path before she stepped into my field of vision. She eventually stopped beside her brother, just in time for the sound of a door opening to pull my head up to the right, where Phury stood, backlit by the light flooding out into the night.

            "He'll see her," he said, his tone making it clear he was not pleased with the king's decision. My chin came up and I fought to hide my smile as Tohr turned back to me.

            "One wrong move..." he breathed threateningly.

            I just blinked at him, then turned and walked steadily across the gravel towards Phury. The others fell in around me, a prison guard escorting me up to the door. Inside, I paid no attention to the glowing light and colour from around me, keeping my eyes firmly ahead, and locked in the present.

            Tohrment and the Dhestroyer both overtook me, leading the way up a staircase with Phury. I followed the three backs in silence as they passed through a set of doors and split to the sides. I walked forwards, then stopped abruptly as I took in the sight in front of me.

 

 

The king had his back to me, both hands planted firmly on his desk as he leaned over it, head bowed, long dark hair falling forwards to hide his face. He waited until the rest of the brotherhood had filed in behind me and shut the door, the sound of his inhale and slow exhale was loud in the silent room.

            "You're not a vampire," he said.

            "No," I allowed. "I'm not."

            "Who are you?"

            For the king, I finally answered the question.

            "I'm called Phet." The sound of my ridiculous nickname, said in a deep amused voice, floated through my brain, but I pushed it away. I had no time for Shadow humour now.

            Wrath straightened up, and though they were probably of a height, he looked so much bigger than the Dhestroyer; a force of nature even with his back to me.

            "Is it true?" he asked, his voice a rumble of thunder in the room. "Can you make me see again?"

            My eyes flickered around the room, to Tohrment, to Vishous, to Rhage, to the woman standing on the other side of the desk, the Saturnine Ruby gleaming on her finger, to the dog sitting calmly by Wrath's feet, before I answered him.

            "I think so." My voice was quite calm, though my left hand was dancing, thumb touching each finger for the tiniest second as it circled round and round. The Brotherhood was silent, all eyes focused on me, waiting for any movement, any hint of a threat, but I didn't give them any, remaining utterly still, except for the incessant movement of my hand.

            The queen scoffed at my words, turned away as she paced the back wall, her eyes blazing with anger as she glared at me.

            "Beth..." Wrath began, but she didn't let him get a second word out.

            "No! No, Wrath, this is ridiculous," she stormed back and forth, apparently unable to find the right words to express her disgust.

            I stepped forwards. All around me, hands tightened on weapons.

            "My lord. Lady." I said, and though he still didn't look round, I knew Wrath was listening. Beth continued her pacing, refusing to even glance my way, but I continued on regardless.

            "This is _your_ choice. I cannot promise anything. I don't even know if it would work. But I can tell you everything I know, everything I guess, and I can offer this to you. Whether or not you accept it is up to you."

            Wrath turned at last, and though his eyes were hidden behind nearly opaque wraparounds, I still felt the weight of his sightless gaze.

            "And if I were to refuse?"

            Beth stopped her pacing, finally looking over at me, though I never took my eyes from the king.

            "Then that would be your decision to make," I said, without a hint of emotion colouring my tone. "And I would leave."

            Wrath frowned. "Just like that?"

            My eyes darted sideways again. "Yes. After making certain... other offers."

            A low growl ran around the room, even as every head turned to me. Beth even forgot to glare as her eyes met mine.

            "What offers?" Wrath pushed, but I hesitated. He hissed at my silence and I scowled, waiting until the sound had faded away before turning to the rest of the room.

            My eyes found Rhage first.

            "I would offer to remove your curse," I said. "Permanently." He blinked once and I turned away, focussing on the scarred one. "There is a young in this house," I began, "I would offer her a gift."

            "You're not going to touch her!" Zsadist snarled, stepping forwards, but I continued before he'd taken two paces.

            "I would offer to take her father's markings."

            He went utterly still.

            "I would offer to remove your scar. And your tattoos."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDATE: 28/11/15  
> Apologies for the long wait following chapter 2. Just a very quick explanation - some of where chapter 3 (and the rest of this) was going didn't quite feel right to me, so I've scrapped it, and am now trying to re-work everything to make it fit a little better. Be assured that this has not been abandoned, and there will be more coming.  
> Thanks to everyone for their interest.  
> 


	3. Can they get any worse?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 24/12
> 
> Many thanks to PewterGreyWolf, SweetHarty, lostangelkira and the 6 guests who've left kudos, and to SweetHarty again for their comment.

"I would offer to remove your scar. And your tattoos."

 

Zsadist staggered, and his brother was there in an instant. Phury wrapped an arm around his chest from behind, holding him steady as two pairs of yellow eyes fixed on mine.

            "You can do that?" Zsadist whispered.

            I nodded grimly, even as heavy footsteps reached all our ears.

            With my constant look-out, I'd seen them coming, but I still turned to the door as four more people entered, bring with them the scents of blood, sweat and a sickly sweetness that set my tongue curling in my mouth.

            The fighters spread out, three males and a female somehow finding space in the already crowded room. My eyes were drawn to the last one in, a young male whose form flickered much like Rhage's did. It made my head hurt to look at them, so I turned away. Zadist took advantage of the open door and strode away, his long legs eating up the ground so fast it looked like he was flying. There was a moment of silence.

            "How?" Phury was the one who spoke in his brother's absence. "How could you? He's tried before. Those tattoos won't come off."

            I turned towards him, examining the yellow eyes.

            "Yes, they will," I said, with far more confidence than I felt.

            Zsadist was still wavering on his decision, the future was not set yet. A million different possibilities were flashing before my eyes. He would say no. He would say yes, and it would work, and he would hold his daughter in his arms with a smile on his perfect face. He would say yes, and it would fail, and I would have to flee from the force of his anger and despair. There was too many...

            DANGER! The force of the word was such that all my sight died, and for a second I knew what it was to live in a world of darkness.

            However, although my eyes froze, my body did not. I spun on the spot, ducking as I raised my arm and knocked the blade out of the air before it could connect. It clattered against the floor by my feet. I glared at Vishous.

            "That was rude," I said into the stunned silence.

            "You knew. You saw it coming. How?"

            "How do you see the future?" I shot back and he drew back so fast it looked like he flinched. I looked away, down to the floor when something black was gleaming. I crouched down and picked up the blade, admiring the play of the light over the dark metal. With one hand, I flipped it into the air and the blade sang as it twisted in the air before falling back down into my hand.

            "V?" A new voice spoke and though Vishous held his hand out to the newcomer, his eyes never left me.

            I was the one who looked away, tracking the woman who approached him with a slightly narrowed gaze. I could see her and I could see _through_ her.

            As her hand took V's, she became more... solid. The connection between them was strong, he was infinitely aware of her without even looking round. The woman turned from her mate to follow his gaze to me, and I felt for a moment as if she was looking at me. Not like the others, seeing nothing but the surface, the act, the face I chose to show. It felt like she saw it all. There was nothing in her expresion to confirm my feeling, so I looked away, down to the blade in my hand.

            It whispered to me. "You made this?" I asked.

            V nodded slowly, his sharp eyes watching me. His other hand, the one not holding his mate, was resting, almost casually, on the handle of the matching dagger on his chest. I glanced around, and found the position mirrored by all the others.

            Resisting the urge to sigh, I flipped the dagger in my hand and held it out to Vishous. He took it cautiously, relaxing a little when the weapon was out of my grasp. Crossing my arms, I turned back to face Wrath. His face was turned towards me, a speculative expression on his face.

            "Alright,” he said. “Let's talk."

            "My lord..." Tohrment started, but Wrath shot him a look, and he trailed off.

            Rhage had also made a derisive noise, and I was the one to look at him. He glared back, and in a flickered, I saw his other side watching me with the same intensity. I shouldn't have pulled them apart. Their combined suspicion was working against me.

            "Wrath..." Beth was the other one to object, but Wrath drew her close.

            "No decisions tonight," he murmured to her. "But I have to discuss it with her." Beth sighed, but nodded. Wrath raised his sightless eyes back to me. "You really think you can do it."

            "I hope so," I said, with more honestly than wisdom. Tilting my head, I considered the king. "You haven't always been blind?"

            He shook his head. I'd thought not, but the rumours were very old. The Blind King.

            "No. It was never _good_ , but I could see. It was better when I was a child, and then deteriorated... until..."

            I nodded slowly. “Good." I uncrossed my arms, wanting to pace, but sure that the tense warriors would not allow it. "I can't make any guarantees, you know. It might not work. Or it might only be temporary."

            "And the risks?" Beth asked.

            I opened my mouth then closed it.

            "I won't lie to you. There are risks. But they're small," I said. "I'll only be working on your eyes. Can they get any worse?” Wrath smiled grimly as I continued. "But it could go wrong. I could lose focus. I could slip." I let them digest that for a moment. "But I never have before." That wasn't really a lie. Not in context.

            Wrath glanced to the sides, his face turning to his warriors for a second.

            "It would hurt," I warned him. "Like nothing you've ever felt before."

            "I can handle it," he said grimly.

            I raised a silent eyebrow. "As you say. But you need to know. And take some time. Think about it." My eyes darted to his queen as he nodded slowly and pushed to his feet. It was an impressive sight.

            "I should thank you," he said, but I shook my head.

            "I haven't done anything yet," I told him, but he didn't respond. "If you want to talk about it... I'll be around." I bowed my head slightly to him. "My lord." I followed Zsadist's path from the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, I know. I'm the awfullest. (And that is a word. Deal with it.) It's now been.... two months... I'm sorry. But hey, here's a new chapter, and Merry Christmas :D I decided yesterday, that I was going to give you all a new chapter before (or on) xmas, so I literally blazed this out for you. It's still a bit rough, as I haven't edited properly yet. But thought I'd give you the first draft and then hide from everyone who has either forgotten about this, or is hating me right about now...  
>  
> 
> ((So, the original plan was going to involve the Brotherhood finding out about Darius, and that whole can of worms. That's no longer going to happen (at least, it's not in the plan) so I'm actually having to rewrite all I had to cut it out. But I might, at the end, put the whole original draft up, if anyone wants to see where it was going to go.))


	4. A Child's Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 6/1
> 
> My thanks to the two guests who've left kudos since the last chapter

In the silence that followed her departure, all eyes turned to Wrath. He turned away, pacing back and forth, crackling with restless energy.

            "Someone keep an eye on her. I don't want her wandering alone," he said, and listened to several feet leave the room at once. He took in a deep breath, separating the scents of his warriors. "Phury, check on your brother. V, get hold of Rehv, see if he can get down here. Trez and iAm too if you can." A few more circuits of the room as V whipped out his phone. "How were things downtown?" Glances were exchanged before Tohr answered.

            "Quiet. No sign of the Bastards. Minimal lesser activity." Wrath scowled.

            "Any jars that need collecting?"

            "A couple."

            "Get them. But quickly. Dematerialization only. No one else goes out again tonight."

            Tohr left, taking Rhage with him, just as V turned back to the king.

            "Rehv will be here in a couple of hours. No answer from the Shadows."

            "Keep trying them. If anyone knows _anything_ about her, we need to know it too. What about Lassiter? Where's he?"

            "Don't know. Haven't seen him in a couple of days actually," Tohr frowned.

            Wrath's incessant pacing came to an end when Beth stepped firmly into his path and took his hands in her own. No-one needed the look she gave them to get out. They all left at once. Wrath let out a breath into the suddenly silent room

            "Am I being stupid?" he asked.

            Beth smiled, knowing he could tell, even if he could see the expression on her face.

            "No," she said. "Hope is never stupid."

            "Until it's misplaced."

            "You can't misplace hope. You misplace trust. Do you trust her?"

            He snorted.

            "Exactly."

            "It still feels foolish. Like a child's dream."

            "It's not."

            "It's not?"

            "No, it's not." She smiled lightly.

            "But..."

            "Hush. We'll deal with it. Whatever happens, we'll deal with it. Together. Just like we always will."


	5. A mother, and a moment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 24/1
> 
> My thanks to ApollymiDrakari, Shelly_Harmon and the three guests for the kudos.

It was an impressive ceiling. A very impressive ceiling. With three different floors from which you could admire it. Sitting on the bottom step of the grand staircase, my neck craned all the way back, I tried to convince myself that I didn't hate it. The worst part was that I didn't even know why. It was too... something. Too much, too gold, too presumptuous. I knew that it was beautiful — I could see that... but I still hated it.

            In fairness to him, he was very quiet. So quiet that I didn't hear his footsteps behind me, though I knew he was coming. I watched him pause two steps behind me, considering my back, but there was no threat in his intentions, so I let him stand for a minute before I got bored.

            "How long would you stand there?"

            He didn't reply and I rolled my eyes, though he couldn't see them. His question was so loud in the silence that I couldn't help myself.

            "Vishous."

            He moved then, padding round to stop in the foyer in front of me, his shrewd diamond eyes fixed unblinkingly on mine.

            "How long would you have stood there?" I asked him again, amused.

            "You tell me."

            I raised an eyebrow. "A minute."

            He nodded slowly, eyes drifting away.

            "An hour."

            Frowning, his eyes snapped back to mine.

            "A year," I continued, keeping a straight face. "Until our bones turned to dust."

            "Give me a straight answer," he said, not amused. "Are you one of my mother's?"

            I gave him a look.

            "Excuse me?" I asked. "Your mother? What does that have to..." I broke off and stood up. We were practically the same height and I stared into his eyes without looking up. Neither of us blinked. "Christ," I whispered, taking a step back.

            He shrugged.

            "I normally just stick with Vishous, but if you really want..." I scowled at him.

            "Well that's something I never saw coming."

            "So I'll take that as a 'no'?"

            I snorted in disgust. "I walk my own path."

            "Clearly."

            I sat back down and he sat too, several feet further along.

            "I didn't think you were. Not after what you offered Rhage."

            I laughed lightly. "Yeah, I guess that was a pretty big clue."

            "He won't go for it," Vishous said after a moment.

            I shrugged. "That's up to him."

            "How do you see things?"

            I smiled. "How do you?"

            He scowled. "I've got a pretty good explanation for that," he pointed out.

            "Ah yes, the _mother_." I shook my head, barely believing it. "I don't know how. I just do."

            "What sort of things?"

            I smiled grimly. "Everything," I said. "For example. Three... two... one..."

            Something trilled and Vishous jumped a little, his hand going to his pocket.

            I laughed.

            Shaking his head, he pulled out a phone and glanced at the screen, then scowled a little. Standing, he turned, and was two steps above me before he paused glancing around. My eyes half closed, _watching_ , then I snorted.

            "Don't worry. I'm about to get some new supervisors."

            Right on cue, Zsadist, Phury, and a tall female stepped out from the hallway. They paused at the sight of us, then continued down, a little slower. Vishous nodded to them as he passed, then sped up as he headed back towards Wrath's study. I came to my feet at the trio reached the foyer, my eyes fixed on Zsadist.

            "Can we talk?" he asked brusquely.

            "Of course."

            He turned, leading the way across the open space and pushing open a door, his shellan's hand clasped in his own. I exchanged a fleeting glance with Phury before following them, him bringing up the rear. As he shut the door behind us, I could taste the anticipation in the room.

            Zsadist wasn't looking at me, but staring into the fire, and I was quite sure that it was only the tethering of his shellan's hand that preventing him from pacing back and forth across the room.

            It was to her that I spoke first.

            "Bella? I believe."

            She nodded, only her dark eyes betraying the slightest hints of nervousness. I smiled at her as Zsadist finally turned away from the fire.

            "Take the tattoos," he said.

            I took a physical step backwards. I hadn't seen that coming. I'd been expecting a talk, a request for more information, not a decision so soon.

            "You're sure?"

            He nodded, hard, fast. I _looked_. Yes, he was sure, but there was something else, something I was missing. My eyes misted as I stretched further, searching the paths yet to be trodden.

            "You haven't told Wrath," I said, snapping back to the present.

            His silence was answer enough.

            I was the one to turn away now, striding around the room, passed the bar and the pool table, behind the leather sofa. Three pairs of eyes followed me, but I ignored them all.

            If I did this without Wrath's knowledge... and even worse, if it went wrong... I had faith in my own abilities, but only up to a point and this wasn't just any vampire; Zsadist was one of the Brothers. One of the warriors, as precious to the species as gold-dust. Yet I'd made him an offer and he was choosing to accept it. I stopped, and turned to face him.

            "You're sure? Absolutely certain?" I asked him again.

            "Yes. Take them. Now."

            I gave a curt nod and strode behind the bar, opening cupboards until I found what I was looking for. Crouched behind the counter, I closed my eyes for a second. It was easy to look for triggers. They were the decisions followed by danger.

            Straightening up, I walked quickly to the centre of the room and set the glass down on the table in the middle of the couches. Then I met Zsadist's eyes.

            "This will be a little easier if you sit, but if you prefer, we can do it standing."

            He drew in a short breath, glancing at Bella before answering.

            "I'll sit." And he did, dragging her with him. She resisted, hovering over him. He looked up at her in surprise, but her gaze was on me.

            "Is it okay? I mean..."

            I smiled. "It's fine. Stay with him."

            She collapsed down to his side.

            I took a seat opposite them, perched on the edge. "Can I see your wrist?"

            Zsadist held out his left hand in front of him and I leaned forwards, my eyes raking the skin.

            "May I?" I asked, holding one of my hands several inches away from his skin.

            There were two indrawn breaths as Zsadist's eyes widened in shock. He nodded. My fingers were gentle as they ghosted over his skin, carefully turning his wrist as I probed the surface, trying to determine how deep the ink was. Eventually, I sat back and raised my eyes back to his.

            "Okay. I’ll try to draw the ink out of a single point. It will mean I'll need to make a cut, but it will be easier than trying to bring it all out the surface. it will still hurt though."

            "Fine."

            "I'll need a knife."

            "Here. Use mine." Phury had come forwards. Where the blade came from I wasn't sure, but he held it out, handle first, without hesitation.

            I met his eyes and nodded. The brothers exchanged a glance as I took the knife, something primal passing between them. I waited for Zsadist to look back to me.

            "I ask you a third time," I said seriously. "Do you want me to do this?"

            "Yes," he growled. "I want them gone. I want to be..."

            "Clean." I finished for him.

            He stared at me then nodded. I took a breath.

            "Do you want to cut, or should I?"

            He looked down at the knife between us. "You do it."

            I did. There was a flash of silver as the knife sliced across his wrist, blood pooling to the surface at once. I snatched up the glass from the table, holding it under the cut in the same hand that still grasped the blade.

            "Phury, take the knife." I said, as my other hand clenched around Zsadist's wrist.

            He did so at once, his hand snaking through my arms to remove the blade. I barely noticed, half my mind on the body under my hand, the other half reaching towards my very centre.

            _Alright. Time to play._

My body flashed with warmth, and I gritted my teeth, holding the heat steady, directing it to my will. I twisted my grip on Zsadist so my fingers and thumb were on either side of the cut I'd made, and I _pulled_. He hissed in pain, but I didn't look up, eyes fixed on the blood welling from his skin. A single droplet grew, changing from red to black before it dropped down into the waiting glass. Immediately, a second took its place and a third grew at the other end of the cut. Faster and faster the droplets built and then fell, until a steady trickle of black liquid was falling to splatter into the glass waiting below.

            "Oh my... Z..." Bella whispered.

            I knew what she was seeing. Even the skin under my fingers was lightening, the blackness being leeched away. I didn't stop until his blood ran pure red.

            Only then did I release the power flowing through me, letting it coil away before I let go of his wrist, sitting back in the chair and letting out a gentle breath.

            Zsadist didn't seem to know where to look, his eyes shining as they flicked from his wrist, to his brother, to his shellan and back again. I couldn't help the small, triumphant smile that spread across my own lips as I regarded the pale skin encircling his arm. Completely clean, except for the last drop of blood dribbling slowly down towards his elbow. Phury snatched a towel from behind the bar, flinging it to his brother before I could say anything. I glanced across at the long-haired warrior, but had to look away from his expression, embarrassed by wonder in his eyes as he stared at me.

            "Thank you." Zsadist's hoarse voice brought my head back round, and my smile returned.

            "Do you want to do the other one?"

            He nodded eagerly and we all shuffled round. Bella switched to his left side and held the towel over his cut while I sat on his right. Phury came round and held out the knife again. This time, I didn't pause, but ran it swiftly across his arm. Phury took it back from me without being asked, and I once again placed my hand over the wound, glass positioned ready underneath, and _pulled_.  This time was faster than the last one. Knowing the feeling, I was able to work quicker and it was only about thirty seconds before I was done.

            His neck took significantly longer. I tried to be gentle, and his wrists had both stopped bleeding by the time I was done.

            Zsadist got shakily to his feet, staring in the mirror over the fireplace at the pale skin round his throat. I moved over to stand beside him, and held out the glass of bloody ink.

            "Here."

            He took it, then glanced up at me, his eyes wide and his brow furrowed.

            "Burn it," I suggested, and a wicked grin spread over his face.

            Without hesitating, he crouch down and upturned the glass over the fire. The flames hissed and spat as they consumed the past. I retreated quietly as Bella joined her hellren, smiling at the sight of their faces, so different yet filled with the exact same emotions.

            "Thank you, Phet," Zsadist whispered, his eyes meeting mine in the mirror, and my smile widened.

            "So much," Bella added, her hand laid almost absently over Zsadist's chest. I gave them both a deep nod, watching as their eyes found each other again before moving quietly backwards towards the door, hoping to slip out and give them some privacy.

            "He won't forget this." Phury's voice, low and quiet, rose from the shadows as he watched the couple. "And neither will I,. He turned towards me. "No matter what."

            I met his earnest eyes.

            "I believe you," I said, and I did. Regardless of what happened with Wrath, in this room, for these people, there was a moment of happiness. That was worth anything to me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, new (long) chapter. Hope you enjoyed, let me know what you think :D


	6. Recognition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 31/01
> 
> My thanks to the three guests who've left kudos over the last week and to DarkBouquet for their kudos, and their comment.

Still with a smile on my face, I turned away from Bella and Zsadist, quietly opening the door back into the foyer. As I stepped through it, the main door opened, and I froze. For the briefest second, I hoped that I could retreat, that he wouldn't see me, but even as the thought flashed across my mind, he turned, and his eyes met mine. I recognised him and he recognised me.

            "You!" he roared.

            "Shit."

            He didn't hesitate, casting aside his coat, cane clattering to the ground as he practically flew at me, drawing blades from who-knew-where.

            There was no time.

            I _looked_ and I _moved_ , dancing around him as he slashed at the air.

            He was fast, and a good fighter, but it was irrelevant. He never touched me but as the others arrived, drawn by his shout, I knew that I couldn't keep doing this. It was getting us nowhere.

            I turned, took one step, and snapped my hand out in front of me. It connected solidly with his stomach, and he staggered backwards, wheezing. His amethyst eyes remained on me, and I stared into them. He was half-sympath. I hadn't seen that before. Then again, I'd been trying not to look at him.

            "Rehv? What the fuck?" Phury's voice was hovering between anger and confusion. The fight had only last for a couple of seconds, but, coupled with his shout, it had drawn attention. Eyes were focused on us from all sides.

            "What the hell is she doing here?" the half-breed hissed, his flexing arms making it perfectly clear that he would like nothing more than to come at me again.

            "You two know each other?" Tohrment spoke up from the other side.

            "No," I snapped.

            "I've seen her before," the sympath growled. "With Xcor."

            There was utter silence.

            "Thanks," I said sourly.

            "Is that true?" The king's voice echoed from overhead. I gritted my teeth, straightening up from my crouch and turning away from the half-breed. All eyes were fixed on me. Phury and Zsadist, matching expressions of shock. Rhage with unsurprised anger. Tohrment and Vishous, unreadable. Wrath, standing over them all.

            "Yes," I admitted. There were growls and snarls from all sides, though the trio behind me stayed noticeably silent.

            "You've got to be fucking kidding me," Rhage snarled, his whole body tense, ready to spring.

            "Easy, Hollywood," Wrath said, as he frowned down at the lot of us. "You wanna explain?" he asked me.

            I felt a flare of anger than I barely managed to contain. "Not really."

            Wrath snarled and it was an awful sound. Even the dog at his side took a step away from him.

            I didn't flinch, letting the sound fade into silence. "I was going to make him an offer."

            Rhage laughed, leaping down the last few steps to land with a thud, his eyes fixed upon me. His skin was pulsating, his desire to unleash his beast visible.

            "What was it, I wonder? Take out the king for him? Or just to wipe out as much of the Brotherhood as you could?" He took a step forwards and Vishous reached out from the step above, grabbing his arm to hold him back.

            My whole body was shaking, lips drawn back as I _hissed_ at him.

            "Enough!" Wrath's voice boomed out from above us. There was a moment of silence before I moved, stepping carefully over to stand in the centre of the foyer, looking straight up at Wrath.

            "My lord..." I began carefully.

            "It's 'your majesty'," Rhage spat, and I actually caught a glimpse of a purple tail lashing out the corner of my eye.

            "He's not my king!" I snarled at him, unable to stop myself. Everyone was still and silent, staring at me with equal anger and suspicion. I addressed my words to the king.

            "If I wanted you dead, I could have done it in a heartbeat," I said, trying to keep my voice level. "No-one would have known. I could have taken out every single one of the Brotherhood along the way if I wanted to. I could have been in and out in a minute, or I could have taken all the time in the world, picking you off one-by-one until those remaining were driven mad, jumping at shadows, praying for me to come to them."

            _Too much._

I took a breath, trying to calm myself. "But I didn't. Nor do I have any plans to."

            There was a moment of silence.

            "What did you offer him?" Wrath's voice was quiet, but clearly audible in the silence.

            I closed my eyes, then opened them again.

            "Nothing that will affect you or yours," I said honestly. The silence stretched and I snapped. "My offer to you stands. You have ten minutes to make a decision. I'll be waiting." I turned, stalked across the silent room and walked out into the night, the door shutting firmly behind me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bom, bom, bom... ;) lol.
> 
> Next chapter, 'Politics' is just about written, and it's decision time! Will be posted some time next week, comments will make it come faster ;) Promise!


	7. Politics

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 5/2
> 
> Thanks to the three guests who left kudos, and to TheBloodletter for their comments. Look to them if you want to show gratitude for this chapter coming two days early ;)

The door slammed, and the sound was the beginning of the end of all things.

            Wrath bit back a curse. "Everyone in the dining room. Right now."

            There was a ripple of movement as everyone obeyed, moving silently off to the right, or darting higher into the mansion to fetch others. He waited, listening to the silence fall again before taking George's harness.

            "Dining room," he commanded softly, and the dog moved off at once, guiding him down the stairs and to the correct door. He kept walking, making his way towards the middle of the room until a slight pressure from the animal let him know he was getting close to the table. There, he stopped, turning on the spot, tasting the air around him, recognising the scents.

            "Rehv, what _exactly_ did you see?" He could hear the sympath king twirling his cane between his fingers in the pause before he answered.

            "I saw her talking to Xcor. It was some weeks ago, but it was definitely her."

            "You're sure?"

            "Positive."

            "What were they saying?"

            "I don't know. Wasn't close enough to hear."

            "Did she know you were there?" Phury's voice cut in from the right.

            "I don't know. She looked right at me once, but she was scoping the whole area pretty thoroughly. Might have been coincidence."

            "She recognised you tonight."

            "Aye, that she did."

            Wrath let out a huff of air. "She says she can make me see again." There was a beat of silence, where he could almost hear Rehv biting his tongue. "I trust your judgement. All of you. And I need it now. Yes or no. Any volunteers?"

            "No." Rehvenge was the first to speak. "Xcor can turn anything to his advantage. This can't be coincidence. She can't be trusted."

            "Yes."

            "Zsadist?" Wrath frowned, sure he'd misheard.

            "She took my tattoos. She can do it." There was a ripple of movement through the air, and several indrawn breaths as the others all confirmed it for themselves. Wrath gritted his teeth but didn't say anything.

            "Yes." Phury's voice, so similar to Zsadist's, was the next to break the silence. "I trust her."

            Someone scoffed.

            "No. No way," Rhage drawled. "There's something not right here."

            Wrath sighed a little. Unfortunately, that was true. He could feel it.

            "She's not one of us. You heard her; 'he's not my king', what the fuck was that suppose to mean?"

            "She's not a vampire," Vishous said dully.

            Rhage growled lightly. "So?! There's something we're not seeing."

            _Everything_ , Wrath thought.

            "Vishous? Your vote," he prompted. There was a slight pause.

            "Yes," he said eventually.  "We've spent so much time trying to hide this from the glymera, imagine if we didn't have to. I think we should try it."

_Three for, two against._

            "John?"

            There was a slight pause.

            "Ah... he says this is brotherhood business," Quinn spoke up.

            "Bullshit. You've got good instincts John." Another pause.

            "He votes no. Says she looked at him funny. Like she was seeing though him."

            "Quinn. What about you?"

            "I think yes. If she can do Z's tats..."

            "Blay?"

            "Yeah, I'm with Quinn, I think it's worth a try."

            "Xhex?"

            "No. If she's been in contact with Xcor... it's not exactly reassuring. She could just been playing you."

            _Five for, four against_. Wrath took a breath, trying to work out who was left.

            "Butch?"

            "I... I dunno man. It could go both ways. But my gut tells me she's for real. I vote yes."

            "Payne."

            "No. There's something about her, rubs me the wrong way."

            Wrath hesitated, because he could tell that the last answer wasn't going to come easily.

            "Tohrment?" Sure enough, there was a long silence. Wrath could almost picture the warrior leaning against the wall, eyes on the floor.

            "Is it worth it?" Tohr said eventually. "All the risk, for a theoretical gain."

            "If I could see again, I could..."

            "If you're dead you can't do anything," Tohr snapped. "You're doing enough. I vote no."

            _Six all. An even split._ Wrath held out a hand to the side, where the soft scent of rain told him Beth was standing. She came to him willingly, wrapping her arms around his waist.

            " _Leelan_? What about you?"

            She stretched up to kiss him lightly on the mouth and he felt a jolt of heat through his stomach.

            "I'll support you in whatever you choose," she murmured.

            "I want to be able to see you," he whispered, and she laid her head against his chest.

            "And I want you to be here to see me," she murmured back, just as quietly.

            Wrath sighed, then raised his head.

            "Yes."

            There was a huge breath, of anger or relief, from all sides.

            "Someone go tell her," he said, listening to the slightly uneven gait fade. Phury. After exactly 63 seconds, he was back, and the silence deepened at his reappearance.

            "Well?" Wrath prompted.

            "She's gone." Curses slipped from all sides. "But she left a message."

            Wrath closed his useless eyes.

            "What did it say?"

            "I offered to heal his mouth."

            Wrath sighed. "Fuck," he whispered, and Beth's arm tightened around him.

            "There was more," Phury continued.

            "What was it?"

            "Tomorrow. It just said tomorrow."

            Wrath closed his eyes.

            "Alright people. Nothing else to see tonight."

            They filtered out slowly. Beth gave him another quick kiss before pulling away. The room emptied slowly, until he was the only one left.

            "George?" he called softly, and instantly felt a pressure against his leg. He leant down, meaning to take the harness and return to his study but he somehow found himself sitting on the floor beside the dog, unable to summon the motivation to do so. So he just sat, fondling George’s soft ears.

            After about five minutes, he heard footsteps approaching, then whoever it was sank down to sit against the wall, facing him. For another minute, they remained silent.

            "This is a mistake," Tohr said.

            Wrath smiled grimly. "Maybe."

            "You're the King. We can't lose you."

            "I need to see again Tohr. V is right we've spent so much time making sure the glymera don't know about me, but that's not the real problem."

            "And if you're wrong? If she tries to kill you?"

            Wrath raised his head. "You'll take her out."

            "And if I can't? You didn't see her go against Rehvenge. She knew what he was going to do before he did it. I'm not sure any of us could beat her."

            "None of you have to though. This isn't how it used to be Tohr. You're not working alone now. Together, you can do it."

            Tohrment didn't reply, but he sighed, and eventually pushed to his feet, looking down on his king. "I hope you're right," he said.

            "Me too," Wrath admitted, and listened to him walk away.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be up next Friday (non-negotiable for once) and should be THE BIG ONE!
> 
> In the meantime, kudos and especially comments remain the highlight of my life ;) :D


	8. His Sight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 12/2
> 
> Thanks to three guests who've left kudos since the last chapter.
> 
> Enjoy!

I passed most of the day a few hundred metres above the compound, enjoying the sun of my skin, though the wind whipping round the mountain prevented me from becoming properly warm. Sitting against a rock, arms wrapped round my legs, I considered all I'd heard. Honestly, I hadn't expected Wrath to accept my offer. Not after the sympath had revealed that I'd been in contact with Xcor. But he had. Even after there had been an even split in the votes for and against my attempt. Six and six. Not exactly a huge show of confidence.

            With a sigh, I leant back, closing my eyes as I turned my face upwards, reviewing the votes for the third time. Zsadist and Phury had been obvious. They knew what I was capable of, had seen it with their own eyes, and they trusted me to do it again. Two of the younger ones had voted in my favour as well. And the Dhestroyer. And Vishous. I snorted. _His mother_. For the first time, the true implication hit me. His father was the Bloodletter, which meant she'd... I threw back my head and laughed. I hoped he'd been as cruel as all the stories claimed.

            Of course, Rehvenge was never going to trust me, not after seeing me with Xcor. I'd spotted him within seconds, but a quick glance had confirmed my suspicions; he hadn't wanted to be seen. So I'd kept my eyes away from him, doing my best to protect his cover. I hadn't expected ever to see him again. Apparently I wasn't that lucky. Xhex, the other sympathy, had sided with him too. As had John, the young one who flickered almost as much as Rhage. And Rhage himself. I scowled. I really shouldn’t have pulled apart him and his beast. Vishous's sister too, didn't trust me. And Tohrment. I couldn't deny that one had hurt. The most reasonable one, the thinker, had decided my offer wasn't worth the risk.

            Yet for all that, Wrath had still said yes. I'd heard him. Hoveringly like an unseen ghost over their heads, I'd listened to the word come out of his mouth. Now all that remained was the deed itself.

            _You can do this,_ I told myself firmly. The fire inside me swirled lazily.

            _You'd better behave,_ I snapped at it. _It's both of us on the line if this goes badly._

It didn't respond. It never did. With a sigh, I laid my head back on the rock and closed my eyes.

 

 

Darkness had fallen when I woke, the sun long gone behind the horizon. Standing, I looked down, my eyes just able to pick out the slight wavering of the landscape where Vishous's mhis kept the compound hidden. For several seconds I just looked down on it. There was a tightness in my stomach that I'd rarely felt before. Nerves.

            Taking a deep breath, I willed myself into nothingness, taking form again in the courtyard outside the mansion, bypassing the gates. We were way past that. Again I paused, taking a moment to look up at the lit windows. Would my last moments be behind those walls? I would probably be okay if I failed. They might accept it was simply being beyond my abilities.

            But if things went wrong, if I lost control... _Don't think about it._

I didn't doubt that I could take down any one of the brotherhood. Even two or three of them, but if all seven came at me, not to mention the three younger ones and the two sympaths... Sometimes there's no way out. Flexing my hands, I took a step forwards.

            The doors opened as I approached and I stepped carefully into the foyer, which was full of people. The tightness in my stomach intensified. It wasn't just the males. There were females scattered amongst them too. And even - I did a double take - a human man, watching me from Payne's shoulder. Next to him, the translucent form of the woman Vishous had held so tightly to, a fierce expression on her face.

            Blinking, I looked away, my eyes lingering for a moment on Zsadist, who gave me the barest hint of a nod, and finally settling my gaze on Wrath. He was waiting at the bottom on the stairs, an impressive sight, framed by his family. I halted several paces away, in the centre of the ring they formed, and waited.

            "Last night..." Wrath began slowly, "we discussed..."

            "I know," I cut across him. "I was listening." The others shifted around us, and Wrath scowled. I ignored it all. "Has your answer changed?" I asked him.

            There was a slight pause.

            "No," he said and I took a breath.

            "Alright then," I said. "Where do you want to do this?"

            Wrath stared down at me, considering. "What do you need?"

            "Somewhere for us both to sit, facing each other. And space around it. A lot of space."

            "Dining room," Phury said from my right. "We can move the table."

            Wrath nodded once, and instantly, they all moved to the left, through a huge pair of doors into a room I shouldn't have recognised. Pausing in the doorway, I watched as every one of them grabbed a couple of chairs, moving them out the way. Rhage and Zsadist took each end of the table, lifting it a couple of inches off the ground then shuffling sideways to deposit it along the wall.

            "Are you sure about this?" I asked Wrath in a low voice.

            "Yes," he said, and I nodded.

            The room was totally clear now, apart from two chairs in the very middle, facing each other. I moved forwards, Wrath, guided by his dog, following me. In the middle of the room, I halted, considering the group standing as close to the pair of chairs as they could get without seeming like they were crowding.

            Internally, I sighed. I'd anticipated this without having to see it. I wasn't going to do this with them all watching over my shoulder. I needed some distance. It would be easier for me, and safer for them.

            "Beth, Phury..." I paused, considering. "Vishous. I'm going to need you. The rest of you, backs against the wall, or out of the room." There was a slight pause.

            "Do it," Wrath barked, and they moved at once, leaving the five of us alone. Frowning, I looked down. Six of us.

            "The dog has to go too," I said apologetically.

            Wrath leaned down, stroking the golden head before releasing the harness.

            "Tohrment," he commanded, and the dog trotted off across the room. I watched him go, and met the warrior's eyes as he greeted the animal.

            "I'm going to need something for him to bite down on." I said, my eyes on Vishous.

            He glanced past me and I turned to see Quinn slip out the door.

            "Bring two!" I shouted after him, then turned back to the king. "And I'm going to need to see your eyes."

            He hesitated for a second, then finally removed his glasses. The luminous green orbs seemed to shine, illuminating the whole room. I took a breath.

            "Sit down."

            Wrath held out a hand and Beth took it at once, guiding him down onto the seat. I took the other one, leaning forwards on my knees, frowning as I stared intently at his eyes, praying I would be able to fix them.

            "This is going to hurt, a lot," I warned him again, then transferred my gaze to the other two males. "I'm going to need you two to hold his arms. He'll want to claw his eyes out. Don't let him."

            They shared a grim glance, then took their places either side of the king.

            "My lord?" I heard Tohr take a step forwards as he called out. He knew what I'd done, why I'd chosen them, and didn't like it one bit.

            "I said back against the wall," I snapped, without looking at him.

            "It's fine, Tohr," Wrath said calmly, as Quinn slipped back into the room, striding straight across to us and holding out two pieces of thick dowel, wrapped in leather. I took them both with a nod of thanks and he retreated back to the wall.

            "What about me?" Beth asked.

            "Stand by me." I told her, looking up and giving my best reassuring smile. "You're what he's going to want to see first."

            She swallowed, apparently not very reassured.

            I turned away, back to the king, projecting my voice for them all to hear. "One more thing. No matter what happens, no matter how much you scream, they mustn't interfere."

            His sightless eyes stared straight into mine.

            "You heard her," he said, in a ringing tone.

            I looked straight back at him. “I'm going to ask one last time. Are you sure you want to do this?"

            "Yes," he said at once.

            I took his hand and placed one of the pieces of dowel in it. He transferred it to his mouth and clenched his jaw around it. I looked up at the two flanking him, and nodded. They moved closer and took a firm hold of his arms.

            "What's the other one for?" Phury asked quietly, eyes on the other dowel.

            I shot him a look, and ignored the question.

            "You can close your eyes if you ever want to." I told Wrath. "Ready?"

            Wrath, Phury and Vishous all nodded. I put the other dowel between my own teeth, bit down, then reached out and placed my fingers on the king's temple.

            For a second, all was quiet.

            Then energy surged between my hands, and we screamed.

 

Pain. It was everywhere, everything. But I fought, fought to master it, fought to feel the eyes under my fingers. And I fought to fix them...

 

\--

 

Pain. It was all round him, everywhere. His eyes were burning. And he fought, fought against the arms holding him, restraining him, fought to rid himself of the never-ending, all-consuming agony. Anything to make it stop...

            Then it was gone. The pain vanished, and he could breathe again. The dowel clattered from his mouth as he slumped forwards, taking in great gasps of air, and then he heard the one sound he could never ignore. Beth's voice.

            "Wrath?" she pleaded. "Wrath, can you hear me?"

            He raised his head, reaching out fingers through the darkness until he felt her face under his fingertips. "I can't see you," he whispered brokenly. "I can't see you."

            "Wrath, open your eyes," she begged.

            Wrath frowned. Were they closed? How could he tell, when there was no difference between the two states? Open, closed, what difference did it make? Then gentle fingers fluttered over his eyelids, and he opened his eyes.

 

\---

 

I broke the connection with difficulty, physically ripping my hands from his head when there was nothing more I could do. I leapt backwards, the chair falling to the ground as I retreated on shaking legs. There was still power racing through me, crackling between my fingers, ready to leap out to anyone close by. Even as I forced myself to a halt, I didn't take my eyes of the foursome in the middle of the room.

            "I can't see you," Wrath whispered, and my knees buckled.

            Crouching on the floor, I let my head hang forward. All that, and it hadn't worked. Pointless. Useless. Worthless. I'd failed.

            "Wrath, open your eyes," Beth's voice, begging, pleading. I froze. Still, with my eyes on the ground, I didn't dare to hope, for what good could it possibly do...

            "Beth?" His voice was nothing more than a breath upon the air. "Beth. I can see you."

            I closed my eyes, and I smiled. There was a huge surge of noise and movement as everyone broke away from the walls at last, racing forwards towards their king.

            Ignoring the babble of voices, I stood slowly, my legs trembling, my heart still thrumming with the aftermath of the pain.

            I wasn't nearly ready for it when there was a hush in the noise level, and a single figure pushed his way out of the crowd. I met the king's pale green eyes as he looked at me for the first time and I couldn't help the grin that spread itself across my face.

            "If," he began, his voice deadly serious, "there is _ever,_ anything I can do for you, anything you need, you will have it."

            My smile broadened, and my eyes flickered to the side, where Beth was standing, tears pouring down her cheeks.

            "I'll bear that in mind." I said, and he let out a growl of satisfaction before holding out his hand. I took it without hesitation, and our eyes locked as we shook.

            The first thing he looked at when we broke apart was Beth and the love shining from both faces was enough to make me blink. It took a moment for me to look away, turning my focus to the warrior who had stepped forwards to take the king's place.

            Tohrment was unable to meet my eyes. "I want to say-"

            WHAM! My fist caught his across the jaw, knocking his head round to the side as he staggered backwards. Utter silence fell as all eyes turned to us.

            "That was for voting no," I told him.

            He nodded slowly as he worked his jaw in a circle. “If you ever need something," he said, "I owe you."

            "I just punched you in the face," I pointed out. "I think we're even."

            He stared at me for a second, then laughed, and he too, held out a hand.

            "Thank you," he said, and I grinned.

            "Don't ever stop watching his back."

            His grip tightened on mine.

            "Never."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *satisfied smile*
> 
> So this is the end of the "main" arc of this story, there are funny little one-shots floating around my head, so if they ever decide to claw their way out, you'll get them, but for the most part, this is finished. Hope you enjoyed, lemme know what you thought!! Thanks for reading! :-*

**Author's Note:**

> By some miracle or mistake, I'm on Tumblr! You can message me there, or just sit back and laugh as I stumble my way through life...  
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/lmere19


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